Mandahar
Encyclopedia
The Mandahar are tribe of Rajput
s, once found in Kaithal
, Haryana
. They are now found in Pakistan
. A few Mandahar are also found in Saharanpur District
in Uttar Pradesh
.
, driving out the Chandel
and Varya
Rajput
s, and overpowering the Jats. They then spread to Patiala, and were the effective rulers of the region between Jind
and Patiala. The Mandahar then came to the attention of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi
, who defeated them in battle and converted their chiefs to Islam
. Over time the entire tribe was converted to Islam, and formed an important element of the Ranghar
community of Haryana
. The Mandahar claim to be Suryavanshi Rajput
s, and claim descent from Lav
, son of the Ram
, and claim a common origin with the Bargujar. They were settled mainly in the valley of Yamuna
, mainly in and around Kaithal
for at least six centuries. Like other Ranghar communities, they were forced out of Haryana
at the time of the partition of India
. They are now found mainly in Punjab
, especially in the districts of Kasur
and Okara
.
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, once found in Kaithal
Kaithal
Kaithal is a city and a municipal council in Kaithal district in the Indian state of Haryana. Kaithal was previously a part of Karnal District and later, Kurukshetra District until 1 November 1989, when it became the headquarters of the Kaithal District of Haryana. Kaithal shares common boundary...
, Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. They are now found in Pakistan
Pakistan
Pakistan , officially the Islamic Republic of Pakistan is a sovereign state in South Asia. It has a coastline along the Arabian Sea and the Gulf of Oman in the south and is bordered by Afghanistan and Iran in the west, India in the east and China in the far northeast. In the north, Tajikistan...
. A few Mandahar are also found in Saharanpur District
Saharanpur District
Saharanpur district is the northernmost of the districts of Uttar Pradesh state, India. Bordering the states of Haryana and Uttarakhand, and close to the foothills of Shivalik range, it lies in the northern part of the Doab region...
in Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh
Uttar Pradesh abbreviation U.P. , is a state located in the northern part of India. With a population of over 200 million people, it is India's most populous state, as well as the world's most populous sub-national entity...
.
Origin
According to their traditions, they came from Ayodhya and settled in JindJind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
, driving out the Chandel
Chandel
Chandela may refer to* Chandela, a Rajput clan in India* Chandel district, a district in Manipur, India* Suresh Chandel, Indian politician...
and Varya
Varya Rajputs
Varya jatt/rajput are a Suryavanshi Rajput tribe of Punjab region of both India and Pakistan. In Pakistan, they are known as Rana Rajput.-History and origin:...
Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, and overpowering the Jats. They then spread to Patiala, and were the effective rulers of the region between Jind
Jind
Jind is a town in Jind District, Harayana state, India.It is one of the oldest districts of Harayana. It is one of the first Sikh Kingdoms. It lies in central Haryana and is the fourth district of the Jat belt .The city is beautiful...
and Patiala. The Mandahar then came to the attention of Firuz Shah Tughlaq, the Sultan of Delhi
Delhi Sultanate
The Delhi Sultanate is a term used to cover five short-lived, Delhi based kingdoms or sultanates, of Turkic origin in medieval India. The sultanates ruled from Delhi between 1206 and 1526, when the last was replaced by the Mughal dynasty...
, who defeated them in battle and converted their chiefs to Islam
Islam
Islam . The most common are and . : Arabic pronunciation varies regionally. The first vowel ranges from ~~. The second vowel ranges from ~~~...
. Over time the entire tribe was converted to Islam, and formed an important element of the Ranghar
Ranghar
Ranghar are a Muslim ethnic group, which is found in Sindh and Punjab provinces of Pakistan and Haryana and Uttar Pradesh states of India. Ranghar were native to Indian state of Haryana and also found in the Doab region of Uttar Pradesh, as well as Delhi in India...
community of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
. The Mandahar claim to be Suryavanshi Rajput
Rajput
A Rajput is a member of one of the patrilineal clans of western, central, northern India and in some parts of Pakistan. Rajputs are descendants of one of the major ruling warrior classes in the Indian subcontinent, particularly North India...
s, and claim descent from Lav
Lava (Ramayana)
Lava or Luv and his twin brother Kusha, were the children of the Lord Rama and his wife Sita, whose story is recounted in the Ramayana. Per that text, he is known as the founder of Lavapuri,that is, the modern day city of Lahore,...
, son of the Ram
Rama
Rama or full name Ramachandra is considered to be the seventh avatar of Vishnu in Hinduism, and a king of Ayodhya in ancient Indian...
, and claim a common origin with the Bargujar. They were settled mainly in the valley of Yamuna
Yamuna
The Yamuna is the largest tributary river of the Ganges in northern India...
, mainly in and around Kaithal
Kaithal
Kaithal is a city and a municipal council in Kaithal district in the Indian state of Haryana. Kaithal was previously a part of Karnal District and later, Kurukshetra District until 1 November 1989, when it became the headquarters of the Kaithal District of Haryana. Kaithal shares common boundary...
for at least six centuries. Like other Ranghar communities, they were forced out of Haryana
Haryana
Haryana is a state in India. Historically, it has been a part of the Kuru region in North India. The name Haryana is found mentioned in the 12th century AD by the apabhramsha writer Vibudh Shridhar . It is bordered by Punjab and Himachal Pradesh to the north, and by Rajasthan to the west and south...
at the time of the partition of India
Partition of India
The Partition of India was the partition of British India on the basis of religious demographics that led to the creation of the sovereign states of the Dominion of Pakistan and the Union of India on 14 and 15...
. They are now found mainly in Punjab
Punjab (Pakistan)
Punjab is the most populous province of Pakistan, with approximately 45% of the country's total population. Forming most of the Punjab region, the province is bordered by Kashmir to the north-east, the Indian states of Punjab and Rajasthan to the east, the Pakistani province of Sindh to the...
, especially in the districts of Kasur
Kasur District
Kasur District or Qasur District is one of the districts in the province of Punjab, Pakistan It came into existence on 1 July 1976. Earlier it was part of Lahore District....
and Okara
Okara District
Okara District is a district of Punjab, Pakistan. The Multan Road connects the district capital, Okara with tLahore 110 km away. Okara began as a small town about 40 km from the city of Sahiwal. It later become a city in its own right. According to the 1998 census, the district had a...
.